Lessons that matter: what should we learn from Asian education?

The education systems of Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and Shanghai routinely top international rankings and their reform efforts in the last three decades are often held up as a model for the west. Dr Yong Zhao, however, argues that Asian education systems have succeeded in spite of, rather than because of, these changes.

Interest in learning from Asia’s high performing education systems has grown rapidly in recent years. A flurry of research reports, media stories and personal accounts of how these systems achieve their superb rankings on international league tables have been promoted widely and offered as suggestions to education systems around the world. However, most of the popular observations that many of us are familiar with fail to point out the most important lessons to be learned.

The best lessons from Asia are not to be found by asking: ‘What helped these systems achieve their fantastic test scores?’ Rather, the question we need to ask is: ‘What has been going on in these countries over the past few decades to transform their educational practices?’

In light of what Asian systems have been attempting to do, the lesson for Australia must be that, instead of reforming to replicate Asian test scores, Australia needs to capitalize on its traditional strengths; strengths like resourcefulness and entrepreneurship

Dr Yong Zhao

My work for the Mitchell Institute for Health and Education Policy in Melbourne involves a study of reform efforts in Asia’s high performing education systems, specifically Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and Shanghai, over the past three decades. This work is not about how Australia can ‘catch up’ to Asian school systems in international rankings. It is focused on lessons to invent the future, not fix the past. It is based on analysis of major policy documents, reviews of research literature, and on-site interviews with government officials, researchers and education leaders working within these four education systems.

Outside observers might mistake Asia’s current reform efforts as the drivers of its success. The reforms are mistakenly credited with producing the outstanding performance on international assessments, which in reality have resulted from the cultural traditions and policies established in the past, a past that current efforts are trying to change.

Those working inside these systems, while deservedly proud of their achievements, are dissatisfied. The radical reform efforts they have embarked on over the last three decades are driven by the belief that their education is far from high quality. For example, those within the Chinese system point to the relative shortage of creative and entrepreneurial talents, high-levels of student depression and anxiety, declining physical health and an excessive academic burden.

My work is not yet complete. However, I have identified a number of diverse policy changes being implemented across these quite different education systems. Some are embracing technology, de-centralising control and de-emphasising testing. All four systems have been implementing reforms that expand the definition of education outcomes beyond academic performance within a narrow set of subjects to develop what is commonly described as ‘21st century skills’ such as creativity, communication, collaboration and higher order thinking.

In contrast, reform efforts in western nations like Australia seem to be trending in the opposite direction: consideration of a national curriculum and more emphasis on standardized testing that narrows the definition of educational success. In doing so, they are attempting to create an equal footing with high performing Asia. Ironically, innovators in Asia are looking to adopt the values of the west to prepare their students for a competitive future.

In light of what Asian systems have been attempting to do, the lesson for Australia must be that, instead of reforming to replicate Asian test scores, Australia needs to capitalize on its traditional strengths; strengths like resourcefulness and entrepreneurship to develop an education system that prepares young people for a globalized economy and vastly changing labour market.

Australia has much to offer current and future generations, but there is still room for improvement. My hope is that through this work with the Mitchell Institute we will contribute to the growing body of evidence and expand the definition and understanding of what a quality education really is. The key lesson from Asia’s high performing systems is that we must not be focused on fixing the past, but rather working hard to create the future.